Pitch Black, the latest set in the Mega Evolution era, is here. Released on 17 July, the fifth English adaptation of Japan’s Abyss Eye expansion plunges the block into its darkest chapter yet.
Headlined by Mega Darkrai ex, it introduces four new Mega Evolution Pokémon ex alongside six Special Illustration Rares, 11 Illustration Rares, 18 Ultra Rares and a single Mega Hyper Rare at the very top of the rarity ladder.
Whether you’re hunting the chase or simply want to know where the value lies before you start ripping packs, here’s a full rundown of the ten most expensive cards in Pitch Black.
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1. Mega Darkrai ex (Special Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Mega Darkrai ex (me5-116)]]
From the corners of nightmarish sleep, Mega Darkrai ex emerges.
Illustrated by Akira Egawa, this Special Illustration Rare is one of the most striking cards the Mega Evolution block has produced.
The entire card is consumed by swirling darkness, with black-and-white tendrils of shadow coiling outwards from a central mass that is barely recognisable as a Pokémon at all.
Buried within that chaos, pairs of piercing pink eyes stare out from the void. At the centre of everything, Mega Darkrai’s pale face hangs suspended. There is no background, no horizon and no escape. Just darkness—and the thing that lives within it.
Egawa has been designing Pokémon cards since 2019, and this latest artwork is already being positioned among her very best work, drawing comparisons with Arceus and Giratina VSTAR from Crown Zenith. That artistic pedigree matters, and it has clearly strengthened the card’s appeal since release.
2. Mega Darkrai ex (Mega Hyper Rare)
embed::[[Mega Darkrai ex (me5-120)]]
For a Pokémon associated with shadows and the void, the combination of all-gold borders and maximum foil treatment works exceptionally well for Mega Darkrai ex.
The gold feels apt rather than gaudy, elevating this interdimensional being of darkness and delivering a statement artwork that lands.
Collectors who followed the Japanese Abyss Eye launch will know how much attention this card attracted. It has continued to hold interest in a way that reflects genuine demand rather than scarcity alone.
If you want the rarest version of the most anticipated Mega Evolution in Pitch Black, this is it. The Mega Hyper Rare is the ultimate trophy piece from this highly anticipated set.
3. Morpeko ex (Special Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Morpeko ex (me5-117)]]
If the Chaos Rising parallel is Cinccino ex—a non-Mega Special Illustration Rare punching well above its expected weight thanks to irresistible artwork and crossover appeal—then Morpeko ex is playing a very similar game in Pitch Black.
The Special Illustration Rare depicts Morpeko in full Hangry Mode, practically bursting off the card in a frenzied display of energy and expression that makes it impossible to ignore. For a small, round and perpetually irritable Pokémon, it carries remarkable visual presence.
Morpeko has always punched above its weight in the collector market and carries something of a cult following. Its personality does most of the heavy lifting, and on this Special Illustration Rare, it has room to really go for it.
The result is a card with remarkable collector appeal despite not being a Mega Evolution at all. Do not overlook Morpeko.
4. Mega Zeraora ex (Special Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Mega Zeraora ex (me5-114)]]
Zeraora has a serious following as a Mythical Pokémon, and this artwork brings its Mega Evolution, introduced in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, to the TCG.
Illustrated by GIDORA, it crackles with electric energy from corner to corner. The entire card is charged—deep blues and brilliant whites collide in a surge of lightning that frames Mega Zeraora ex mid-strike, claws extended and body coiled with the kinetic force of something that never stops moving.
Yellow lightning bolts cut through the composition like scars, while the foil treatment makes every arc of electricity feel genuinely alive. It is a card that practically hums.
It arrives in Pitch Black with real purpose. Its contrast with the set’s flagship Mega Darkrai ex cards—one consumed by shadow, the other blazing with light—gives this expansion a visual identity that few Mega Evolution releases have matched.
Its reception following the Japanese Abyss Eye release also suggests lasting collector interest. That tells you something.
5. Mega Chandelure ex (Special Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Mega Chandelure ex (me5-115)]]
Embodying the set’s theme of darkness, this Special Illustration Rare renders Mega Chandelure ex in a composition filled with atmosphere and dread.
A huge, luminous sphere at its centre glows against a swirling background of deep purple and black, with sinuous dark tendrils curling outwards like smoke given form. Golden dried flowers drift through the darkness around it, fragile and strange against the weight of everything else.
Mega Chandelure itself looms forwards, filling the frame with a presence that is genuinely unsettling. The illustrator’s restraint in leaving so much of the card in near-darkness only makes Chandelure feel more inevitable.
It also pairs naturally with Gwynn, the set’s standout Supporter. Her partner Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Z-A is Chandelure, giving the two cards a collector magnetism that works in both directions.
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6. Gwynn (Special Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Gwynn (me5-119)]]
Illustrated by Naoki Saito, this card places Gwynn front and centre in a warm, golden scene. Gwynn stares out from the card with quiet intensity, one gloved hand reaching forwards and a small Litwick visible over her shoulder.
Her Supporter effect is genuinely powerful too, allowing you to discard up to two non-Rule Box Pokémon from your hand and draw three cards for each. This makes her a natural engine piece alongside Mega Chandelure ex, her partner Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Z-A.
That combination of character appeal, lore connection and competitive relevance is exactly what a Supporter Special Illustration Rare needs to maintain collector interest, and Gwynn delivers on all three.
7. Misty’s Vitality (Ultra Rare)
embed::[[Misty's Vitality (me5-111)]]
Misty is one of the most recognisable Trainers in the entire Pokémon franchise, and her arrival in Pitch Black as an Ultra Rare has been welcomed by collectors and players alike.
This is not Misty as the anime gave her—breezy, casual and forever at the side of Ash’s journey. This is Misty in her Gym Leader element, carrying the authority of the Cerulean City Gym with her.
The Ultra Rare treatment gives her full-art space to breathe, and the result is a card carrying the kind of Gen 1 name recognition that can sustain collector interest independently of its rarity tier.
Misty has always been a collector draw, and Misty’s Vitality is no different.
8. Gladion’s Final Battle (Special Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Gladion's Final Battle (me5-118)]]
Gladion’s Final Battle is a card defined by movement. Illustrated by DOM, the artwork catches Gladion mid-action against a brilliant blue sky, his jacket billowing, blond hair swept back and light streaking across the frame around him.
It is dynamic and cinematic, filled with the kind of intensity that suits Lillie’s brooding older brother perfectly. Clouds break apart behind him, with shafts of white light cutting through the composition as though something is about to happen. Whatever it is, Gladion looks ready for it.
The card also forms a connected artwork with the Silvally Illustration Rare in Pitch Black—a detail that gives both cards additional collector appeal when displayed side by side.
Gladion’s relatively niche appeal compared with the bigger names in the set may make this card easier to overlook. However, for collectors who appreciate the quieter lore threads running through Pitch Black, it is one of the set’s most satisfying pieces.
9. Primarina (Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Primarina (me5-88)]]
In a set defined by darkness, Primarina’s Illustration Rare is a breath of sea air. Illustrated by satoma, the card places Primarina on a sunlit coastline, sitting atop a rocky outcrop as shallow golden water catches the late-afternoon light.
It earns its place in a dark set precisely by offering something different. It is genuinely beautiful and serene, with a warmth that stands apart from everything else in Pitch Black’s Illustration Rare line-up.
It feels like one of the set’s most rewarding picks for collectors who appreciate an Illustration Rare with real staying power.
10. Gladion’s Final Battle (Ultra Rare)
embed::[[Gladion's Final Battle (me5-108)]]
The Ultra Rare of Gladion’s Final Battle offers a more focused interpretation of the character.
Where the Special Illustration Rare version catches Gladion in a moment of cinematic drama, the Ultra Rare pulls in close. Illustrated by akagi, it shows Gladion staring directly out of the card, green eyes fixed and unflinching, with one hand extended in quiet menace. Dark clouds churn behind him, leaves are caught in the wind and his black jacket stands sharp against the grey.
For collectors who want a full-art version of Gladion, this is a genuinely satisfying alternative to the Special Illustration Rare rather than merely a stand-in.
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What else should you look out for?
Beyond the headline chase cards, several interesting artworks shine a light on Pokémon that often go under the radar.
Bastiodon (Illustration Rare)
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Among them is the Bastiodon Illustration Rare. Here, the Gen 4 Fossil Pokémon receives its first English full-art card, rendered roaring across an overgrown prehistoric landscape.
Dhelmise (Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Dhelmise (me5-91)]]
Another is the Dhelmise Illustration Rare, which carries the set’s dark thematic approach. The style lends itself to ghoulish goings-on and brings in some brilliant cameo appearances from Banette and Shuppet. Banette even has a Common card in the set that feels as though it belongs to the same scene, with both artworks taking place in an abandoned house.
Slowbro (Illustration Rare)
embed::[[Slowbro (me5-90)]]
The final card that simply has to be mentioned is the Slowbro Illustration Rare, which is captivating collectors with its wonderfully derpy artwork. Created by Mékayu, the card shows Slowbro fixing its gaze on a street lamp, with the top-down perspective lending the composition real depth. It is easy to see this becoming one of the set’s standout Illustration Rares.
Final Thoughts
Pitch Black has delivered exactly what it promised. From the moment Mega Darkrai ex was announced as the set’s headliner, the expectation was a dark, atmospheric expansion led by a major chase card and supported by a cast that would need to earn its place. That is precisely what has arrived.
Smaller in size, the set offers a more focused selection of chase cards and better overall pull rates than the larger sets that preceded it. For those looking to complete a master set, Pitch Black has lined up nicely too.
Darkrai has always been associated with nightmares. As it turns out, however, Pitch Black is another addition to the block that is making the Mega Evolution era a collector’s dream.
Shop the Pitch Black set and all things Pokémon TCG, including booster boxes and Elite Trainer Boxes, right here at Gathering Games.
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